1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image scanning apparatus.
2. Related Art
An image scanning apparatus including an endless belt, a pair of rotating bodies being adapted to wind the belt therearound with tension and rotating for rotating the belt, an image scanning unit for scanning image from a document, and a pair of frame members connected to each other is already known (see JP-A-2000-37921). The pair of rotating bodies are supported so as to be capable of rotating independently.
An attempt is made to simplify the image scanning apparatus for reducing the cost of the same. As a measure for simplifying the image scanning apparatus, for example, integrating a supporting shaft for supporting one of the rotating bodies with one of the frame members to reduce the number of components of the image scanning apparatus is considered.
However, integration of the supporting shaft with the one of the frame member fixes the position of the supporting shaft, and hence the supporting shaft has a tendency to incline due to a shaft load exerted on the supporting shaft by the belt wound around the pair of rotating bodies with tension. In addition, when the shaft load is continuously exerted on the supporting shaft, the extent of inclination of the supporting shaft is increased due to so-called creep. When the extent of inclination is remarkably increased, the image scanning apparatus will suffer from difficulty in scanning the image adequately.